SUSAN BOYLE has opened her heart and today spoken of her 'relief' at being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

The Scottish singer, who shot to fame on Britain's Got Talent in 2009, told the Observer that she was diagnosed a year ago and now feels “relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself”.

The 52-year-old said after complications at birth she had always been labelled as ‘brain-damaged’ and as a result she was bullied for years at school and was give the cruel nickname ‘Susie Simple’.

“It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid,” she told the Observer.

“I was told I had brain damage.

“I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.”

“I went to seek a diagnosis from a Scottish specialist," she continued.

“Nobody told me to. I thought I had a more serious illness and couldn't function properly.

“I was told my IQ was above average.”

Asperger's affects communication and social interaction. Sufferers have difficulty picking up on social cues and gauging appropriate behaviour.

However, despite her diagnosis, Susan says she won't let the condition affect her life: "I think people will treat me better because they will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do."

Susan, 52, makes her big-screen debut on Friday in The Christmas Candle.

She plays the wife of a church warden in the heart-warming seasonal tale.